The sun in Zone Z didn't rise from the sky, but from the neon signs that never went dark.
In this underworld, light didn't mean purity—it only meant something was up for sale.
Both Rai Yu and Lin Xian walked through the main street of Sector 7, where the black market pulsed like a living creature.
Crowds thick, smells mingled—a mixture of spicy herbs, sweat, fuel, and synthetic smoke.
The buildings weren't built—they were patched.
Floors stacked atop one another, some made from stolen metal sheets, others from bulletproof glass, dangling with cables and faded banners written in extinct languages.
"Hey! Genuine night-vision goggles! Salvaged from A.C.E.S. troops!"
"Fresh demonic beast hearts! Three for the price of two!"
"DNA masks for children! Today only!"
Everything was for sale… even humans.
At the market's edge, holographic display platforms glowed with transparent light.
There, slaves were showcased—men, women, and children.
Each had a data card: name, age, abilities (if any), obedience rate, and price.
A bald man puffed on his pipe, yelling through a specialized loudspeaker:
"This one's rare! From the southern Zumara tribe! Flexible, silent, and knows how to please!"
Lin Xian stopped unconsciously, his eyes locked on a girl's projection—her glowing blue eyes and shyly sculpted, exaggerated body.
Her gaze was blank, yet it held his attention.
"What's wrong with you?"
Rai Yu said, watching him, hand in his pocket like he'd seen this scene a hundred times before.
Then, with a sarcastic tone:
"Kid, this isn't the time for that.
Once we start making money, you can buy her—or ten more like her—and build yourself a harem if you want.
But for now… keep your eyes on the goal."
Lin Xian quickly turned away and followed him, muttering:
"Don't jump to conclusions, old man. I was just looking."
Rai Yu laughed as he moved through the crowd:
"Everything starts with a look, kid… then you find yourself in debt for life over a pretty slave who knows how to look back."
Lin Xian didn't reply, but his face betrayed his unease.
With a sigh, he asked:
"Where are we even going?"
Rai Yu paused and glanced at an overhead electronic billboard.
He turned to him and said quietly, in a weighty tone:
"To start the first step of our plan… we have to enter the Dragon's Den."
Lin Xian raised an eyebrow:
"You mean…?"
Rai Yu smiled and continued:
"Yes. We're going to infiltrate the Eastern Dragon Sect… as mercenaries."
As they walked toward the sect's temporary headquarters, the atmosphere grew stranger.
Neon wasn't decorative here—it had a presence that overwhelmed the eyes and mind.
Advertisements chased them, like they could read their thoughts.
At every corner, a light-generated woman would declare:
"You look tired… drink the intelligence booster!"
Or a screen showed a child blowing off a demonic beast's head, saying:
"Enroll your son in Dragon School! Success guaranteed… or death with honor."
Lin Xian saw eyeless men led by robotic dogs.
He saw a man with a mechanical arm that held a built-in gambling table.
He heard mechanical sobbing from a floor speaker—melancholy music for a street that had forgotten its meaning.
Then… the air changed.
They entered a zone surrounded by giant iron walls, separated from the rest of Zone Z.
On the wall, a massive laser-carved emblem: A dragon coiled around a spear, beneath which read:
"Blood rules. Not law."
Rai Yu whispered:
"Welcome… to the Dragon's Den."
The Eastern Dragon Sect wasn't just a gang—it was a quasi-state within Zone Z.
The area was split into three sectors:
Iron Sector – where mercenaries trained and weapons were stored.
Fire Sector – where deals were made, and blood rituals performed.
Inner Sector – where the elders lived… and the real monsters.
Watchtowers, energy sensors, and biological cameras capable of reading DNA in a glance guarded the area.
Yet inside… it felt like an independent city.
Buildings mixed Asian architecture with modern tech:
Traditional rooftops fused with energy pipes, wooden walls embedded with interactive screens, and artificial gardens growing ether herbs.
Even the air smelled different… infused with synthetic ginger and smoke.
Rai Yu stopped before a building and said:
"This is the mercenary house.
If we pass the entrance trial, we become part of the sect… at least on the surface."
Lin Xian looked at him, eyes glinting beneath the neon glow.
In a cold voice, he asked:
"What's the plan, old man?"
Rai Yu smiled and pulled something from his coat: a fake ID with his new name.
"The plan… is to fool them all.
And to eat the dragon's heart… from the inside."